The fear of failure is probably the biggest single reason why we don’t do things we want to do. There is even a medical term for it, “atychiphobia“. It’s unlikely that it influences you to the extent that you have a clinical phobia, nevertheless; it affects all of us and can prevent us from being the best version of ourselves. You have an idea about…
Self Motivation, How Hard Can It Be?
Self motivation is a phrase we are all familiar with, and aspire to, but it can be hard to achieve, here’s why. The inspiration to write this came from a conversation my wife had this morning. She was chatting to a good friend of hers who was saying that she was finding it difficult to motivate herself at the moment, for a whole variety of…
Me? I’m Not A Salesman.
When I’m coaching people who are about to start their own business, one of the most common things they say is “I’m worried because I don’t know how to sell”. My response is the same every time, “Yes, you do”. We all do, it’s hardwired into us. As a child, we might try and convince our parents that we have been well behaved in the…
New Year, So What? There Is Only One Resolution To Make.
I don’t want to sound like an old grump, I enjoy the festive period as much as the next person. However, I wanted to talk specifically about New year’s resolutions. Now is the time where we will often re-evaluate our lives, for example, we think about what changes we should be making to improve our lives. We may think of finding a new job, going…
The Fatal Attraction Of Moaning.
Some would say, moaning feels great for some reason. We get satisfaction from it, it makes us feel better. Remarkably, in some contexts, it can also be seen as a sign of intelligence. You know who I mean, for instance, the person who sits in a meeting and trashes all the new thoughts and ideas that come up. Dismissing them out of hand without any…
What Is Commitment?
What does commitment really mean to you? It seems an obvious question but it means different things to different people, and features heavily in our lives. To some people commitment is significant and means everything. If they ask someone to do something and they do not follow through on it, they will become angry and say something like “But you made a commitment”. To other…
Life Can Never Be Perfect.
It’s a strange thing, we talk about living the “perfect life”, as something to aspire to. The reality is though, it doesn’t exist. That may sound like a negative statement but it’s really not a negative one. Perfection is a destination, a final arrival point that can’t be improved upon, and life is not a destination, it’s a journey. Seeking perfection is like trying to…
Acting “As if”.
A few years ago, there was a client of mine, who became a friend. He was looking to start his own business and he needed money to fund it in exchange for named sponsorship. The idea behind the business was that they would put on a concert with top line artists, Pharrell Williams and Lady Gaga for example. However, the only way you could get…
What Do You Own?
When asked this question, the usual answer revolves around possessions, a house, a car etc. However, everyone actually owns a lot more than that. Think about it, what else do you own that can never be anyone else’s? Well, your opinions for a start, they belong to you and are entirely controlled by you, it’s only you that can change them. Your attitude is also…
Do You Have An Hour To Spare?
We are all aware about how much time we spend at work, often more time than we want to but are you aware of how you spend your time when you’re not working? I don’t mean things like looking after any kids you might have, or doing chores, these are things that have to happen in your life, like work, to keep it functioning. I…